Leaders - BLIK
Since its launch in 2015, BLIK has been designed to be a central element in banking apps. Its advantage was its simplicity and universality. Payments used a 6-digit code, which looked slightly different across banks but worked similarly using a single scheme in each institution. They didn't require extra devices or complicated configuration. This model lowered the entry barrier for everyone, especially those less familiar with technology. From the start, the foundation has been ease of use, universality, and responsiveness to individual needs and preferences.
This commitment to simplicity fuelled BLIK’s dynamic evolution over the following years. Originally a tool for ATM withdrawals and in-store payments, BLIK has grown into a comprehensive payment ecosystem. It now enables online payments, phone number transfers, contactless payments, and integrates with new financial solutions such as "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) and recurring payments. All these features are developed in the spirit of simplicity and intuitiveness, to be accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of their sensory, motor, or cognitive abilities. Thanks to this, in collaboration with banks, BLIK genuinely supports digital accessibility standards while enhancing the quality of everyday financial services use.
BLIK's development is based on constant responsiveness to user needs and technological changes. Each new feature is designed with simplicity, speed, and security in mind, and innovations introduced are closely tied to the user experience in everyday transactions. We also consider how we can support attention mechanisms, minimize cognitive load, and effectively assist people using different perception channels. As a result, BLIK continuously evolves while maintaining interface consistency and predictability of actions, allowing users to easily adopt new capabilities and derive full value from the ecosystem.
Another important step for us was adapting the BLIK mobile payment system documentation to legal requirements related to ensuring accessibility of services for people with disabilities and other functional limitations. We deeply believe that throughout the entire payment journey, users should understand what they're doing and make conscious choices to use BLIK in a safe and convenient way. Implementing the provisions of the so-called Polish Accessibility Act, we've documented functional and usability recommendations for our system participants to create accessible BLIK-related services.
It's also worth emphasizing how important research is in our work. Regular usability testing of BLIK increases the inclusiveness of our solution and provides a complete perspective of payment applications. We invite children, elders, people with various visual impairments, different levels of financial literacy, and varying digital capabilities to participate in our research. Through research among a broader group of recipients, extending beyond our main users, we identify previously unknown needs, generate new ideas for product development, and anticipate potential problems. As a result, we can create a more universal, useful, and ethical product.